Dahlia plant named ‘Gallery La Tour’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Dahlia  plant named ‘Gallery La Tour’, characterized by its compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; dark-colored foliage; freely flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescence form; inflorescences with light purple-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Dahlia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Gallery La Tour’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant, botanically known as Dahlia hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Gallery La Tour’.

The new Dahlia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Lisse, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact container-type Dahlia cultivars that have a freely branching growth habit, early and freely flowering habit, decorative inflorescence form, attractive ray floret coloration, and good postproduction longevity and garden performance.

The new Dahlia originated from a cross-pollination in Lisse, The Netherlands during the summer of 2002 of the Dahlia hybrida cultivar Melody Harmony, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,423, as the female, or seed, parent with the Dahlia hybrida cultivar Gallery Salvador, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,501, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Dahlia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Lisse, The Netherlands during the summer of 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Dahlia by cuttings since the spring of 2004 in a controlled environment in Lisse, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of this new Dahlia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Gallery La Tour has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Galley La Tour’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Gallery La Tour’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded         plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Dark-colored foliage.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Decorative-type inflorescence form.     -   6. Inflorescences with light purple-colored ray florets.     -   7. Good postproduction longevity and garden performance.

Plants of the new Dahlia differ from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Melody Harmony, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dahlia are more compact than plants of the         cultivar Melody Harmony.     -   2. Plants of the new Dahlia are more freely branching than         plants of the cultivar Melody Harmony.     -   3. Plants of the new Dahlia and the cultivar Melody Harmony         differ in leaf and ray floret coloration.     -   4. Plants of the new Dahlia have smaller inflorescences than         plants of the cultivar Melody Harmony.

Plants of the new Dahlia differ from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Gallery Salvador, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dahlia are stronger than plants of the         cultivar Gallery Salvador.     -   2. Plants of the new Dahlia and the cultivar Gallery Salvador         differ in leaf coloration.

Plants of the new Dahlia can be compared to plants of the Dahlia cultivar Melody Dixie, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,911. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lisse, The Netherlands, plants of the new Dahlia differed from plants of the cultivar Melody Dixie in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dahlia were more compact than plants of the         cultivar Melody Dixie.     -   2. Plants of the new Dahlia were more freely branching than         plants of the cultivar Melody Dixie.     -   3. Plants of the new Dahlia and the cultivar Melody Dixie         differed in leaf and ray floret coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Dahlia. The photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Dahlia.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Gallery La Tour’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Gallery La Tour’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Lisse, The Netherlands during the summer and autumn in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Dahlia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 20° C. Plants were pinched one time about three to four weeks after planting. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were about three to four months old when the photographs and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Dahlia hybrida cultivar Gallery La Tour. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Dahlia hybrida cultivar Melody             Harmony, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,423.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Dahlia hybrida cultivar Gallery             Salvador, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,501. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures of about 20° C. to 22° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About twelve days at             temperatures of about 20° C. to 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 20 days             at temperatures of about 20° C. to 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 24 days             at temperatures of about 20° C. to 22° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fleshy; 157C in             color. If tubers develop, they are corky in texture and 199B             in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Compact, upright to somewhat             outwardly spreading; mounded plant form. Freely basal             branching with about six primary lateral branches; dense and             bushy plant habit. Inflorescences held above the foliage on             strong peduncles. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 30 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 30 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25 cm. Diameter: About             1.8 cm. Internode length: About 2 cm to 7 cm. Aspect: Erect             to about 20° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture;             Smooth, glabrous. Color: 187A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves opposite; leaves may be single or             compound with three or five leaflets.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate and divided; sinuses divergent.         -   Length.—Single leaves: About 11 cm. Compound leaves with             three leaflets; About 15 cm. Compound leaves with five             leaflets: About 22 cm.         -   Width.—Single leaves: About 4.6 cm. Compound leaves with             three leaflets: About 9 cm. Compound leaves with five             leaflets: About 16 cm.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 139A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: 191A. Fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: 147A overlain with 187C; venation, 187B. Fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 191A; venation,             187C.         -   Petiole length.—Single leaves: About 1 cm. Compound leaves             with three leaflets: About 5 cm. Compound leaves with five             leaflets: About 7 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—Single leaves: About 2 mm. Compound leaves             with three leaflets: About 2 mm. Compound leaves with five             leaflets: About 3 mm.         -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Petiole color, upper surface.—183A.         -   Petiole color, lower surface.—166A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Rotate double inflorescence form with ray and             disc florets. Inflorescences positioned above the foliage on             strong peduncles. Inflorescences face upright to slightly             outwardly. Freely flowering habit; about 30 inflorescences             develop per plant. Inflorescences persistent. Inflorescences             not fragrant.         -   Time to flower.—Plants flower continuously during the summer             and autumn in The Netherlands.         -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about 22 days on the plant and for about six             days as a cut flower.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About             1.8 cm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Towards the base, 146B;             towards the apex, 178B.         -   Inflroescence size.—Diameter: About 9.5 cm. Depth (height):             About 4.4 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.1 cm. Receptacle             height: About 1.4 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 1.8 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 4 cm. Width: About 1.8 cm. Shape:             Ovate. Apex: Mucronate. Base: Attenuate. Aspect: Initially             upright to roughly perpendicular to the peduncle to             reflexed. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; satiny to velvety. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 120 arranged in about twelve whorls.             Color: When opening, upper surface: Towards the base, 3C;             mid-section, 2D; towards the apex, 78A. When opening, lower             surface: 2D; towards the apex, 78B. Fully opened, upper             surface: Towards the base, 21B, mid-section, 75C; towards             the apex, 78B. Color becoming closer to 75B with             development. Fully opened, lower surface: 75B; towards the             apex, 78B to 78C.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate. Length: About             1.4 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About seven to ten. Color: Immature: Towards             the apex, 23A; mid-section, 2B; towards the base, 1C.             Mature: Towards the apex, 22A; mid-section, 2B; towards the             base, 1C.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflroescence: About nine arranged             in a single whorl. Length: About 1.6 cm. Width: About 5 mm.             Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Attenuate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; satiny. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Towards             the apex, 200A; towards the base, 187C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: Terminal peduncle: About 9 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 11 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 13 cm.             Diameter: About 3 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect to             about 20° from vertical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             187A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per disc floret:             Five. Filament length: About 7 mm. Filament color: 2D.             Anther shape: Lanceolate. Anther length: About 5 mm. Anther             color: 17C. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 21B.             Gynoecium: Quantity per ray or disc floret: One. Pistil             length: About 2.6 mm. Stigma shape: Lanceolate. Stigma             color: 12A. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: 150B.             Ovary color: 9B.         -   Seeds.—Seed development has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Dahlia have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Dahlia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Dahlia have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate     temperatures from about 0° C. to about 45° C. 

1. A new and distinct Dahlia plant named ‘Gallery La Tour’ as illustrated and described. 